A Day in the Life
by Falls-44
Summary: ... and that’s what I look forward to the most when I wake up in the morning. Sad, isn’t it? Sometimes, I think so. Most of time I just grin at my good fortune and soak up her presence like a plant reaches toward the sun. ZeLink oneshot


Random little oneshot I wrote a while ago. I'm not exactly sure where I was trying to take this story – I just started writing and it happened. It sat around on my computer for a bit before I figured that I wasn't going to add anything else to it, so I might as well just post the finished product. As a side note, this is the first fic in which I've written from a First Person Point of View. Interesting – it allowed me to get inside Link's head a lot better than I normally could writing Third Person. Something to think about in my future fics.

As usual, enjoy reading it, and tell me what you think!

* * *

A Day in the Life

By Falls-44

* * *

I've got it bad.

I've got it bad, and I don't think I can take it anymore. It's driving me crazy. Everything I do reminds me of her, everything I see reminds me of her. My every waking hour is spent devising hopeless fantasies that revolve around her affections, and at night, my slumbering mind brings those fantasies to life, only to leave me heartbroken when I wake.

Perhaps I should explain. Have you ever met a girl so wonderful, so absolutely _perfect_, that she takes hold of your heart and refuses to let go? No matter how much you plead and beg, she remains entrenched in the deep recesses of your mind, a constant, tantalizing portrait that dominates your every desire.

Not that she does it maliciously, or even consciously, of course. In fact, I'm quite sure that she remains blissfully unaware of the exquisite agony she inspires in me. Maybe she thinks it's funny when I go all goo-goo eyes for her. Or perhaps she takes some odd pleasure when my speech devolves into a series of incoherent blathering at her approach. But, I'm quite sure she doesn't _intentionally_ mean to do this. You see, she's the nicest girl in the world, and I can't imagine her purposefully tormenting me this way. It's just an unfortunate side effect of how much I've fallen for her.

Oh, but I've almost forgotten her name! Zelda. Zelda Harkinian. That's right, Harkinian. She's the CEO's daughter. You understand, now, how miserable my situation is? After all, I'm nothing special. Plain 'ole Link Hylia, another faceless office worker in the white collar world of modern Hyrule. Yeah, like I stand a chance with _her_.

What, you're wondering how I even met her in the first place? Because, obviously, the CEO's daughter has better things to do than hobnob with us lowly grunts, right? Well, that's where you're wrong, because Zelda isn't your regular Daddy's Girl. Sure, she could have accepted a top management position from her old man, and no one would raise a fuss since his word is practically law. Nepotism isn't exactly new, right?

But no. Zelda, after graduating from Hyrule's top university with more honors and accolades than you could shake a Deku-stick at, decided to take up a job post at her father's company.

As a lowly office worker.

Yeah, you heard me. Rather than take the high paying, high profile job reserved for her (not that she deserved less!), Zelda decided to start at the bottom of the heap like everyone else and work her way to the top.

That attitude perfectly showcases her most endearing traits to me – her fierce independence and earnest work ethic. She's not like the gossip girls who sit around the coffeemaker all day and chatter their work hours away. No, Zelda is a no-nonsense type of gal – she gets things done and she gets them done fast.

Maybe I'm weird, but I find that oddly attractive in a girl.

Anyways, you're probably sick of hearing me fawn over her. I can't blame you; a few weeks ago, I would have regarded my current self with scorn and perhaps even some pity. After all, I was Link Hylia, the guy who ridiculed all the attention lavished upon movie stars by their adoring fan legions, the guy who rolled his eyes sarcastically whenever his best friend Sheik would fall head-over-heels for his newest crush.

But of course, that was before Zelda entered my life. She just danced in, so casually, so suddenly, and before I knew it she had me wrapped around her finger. Well, not really – I exaggerate once more. I told you she was the nicest girl in the world, right? I'm sure she'd never use her charms to manipulate another person. Still, the fact remains that I'd jump off a cliff if she told me to.

I told you I had it bad.

Sheik just laughs at me when I tell him how much I've fallen in love with her. I don't think he really believes in "true love," or whatever they call it in the movies. To Sheik, a relationship means a one night stand after a long night of drunken partying. Not that I disapprove, or anything – Sheik's my best friend, and even if he makes some questionable choices, at least he's gotten _some_ action in the past month. I haven't dated anyone since that weird oh-we're-not-dating-just-friends-with-benefits thing I had with Midna two years ago. It's not like I'm unattractive or a jerk or anything – it's just that I'm horribly inept at speaking with members of the opposite sex. I'm still trying to muster up the courage to talk to Zelda with a straight face, much less ask her out on a date!

Anyways, waking up in the morning is a mixed curse and blessing. You know, I used to hate waking up on a workday. What did I have to look forward to? A long day at the office with nothing to shake up the monotony. It was terrible. I wasn't supposed to be spending my life hunched over a computer in some tiny little cubicle. I wanted to see the world, explore all the wonders of the planet, live a life of adventure and fulfillment.

Yeah, well, paying back my college loans ended up destroying _that_ particular dream. It's been two years since I've graduated from Hyrule U and I'm _still_ paying for it. Study hard, kids. It'll be worth it once you get a scholarship.

So, where was I? Grousing about how much I hated my job, and life in general? Yeah, well, fortunately for me, that all changed when Zelda came around. She added _something_ to my life. I dunno what exactly. A spark, a little excitement in my otherwise dull routine. But she shook me up, that's for sure. Now, when I wake up, all I can think about is what she'll be wearing today. When I'm driving to work, I wonder if I'll finally get the courage to ask her out to lunch. And when I finally arrive in the office, the first thing I listen for is the sound of her angelic voice.

Seriously, she has a beautiful voice. Like a choir of angels from the Goddesses themselves. And this time, I'm not even exaggerating. She should have been a singer or swimsuit model or _something_. Not wasting away her talents in the office.

But, privately, I'm glad she chose to be an office monkey rather than a famous singer, or model, or whatever else she could have been. Because it means I get to see her every day, and that's what I look forward to the most when I wake up in the morning. Sad, isn't it? Sometimes, I think so. Most of time I just grin at my good fortune and soak up her presence like a plant reaches toward the sun.

You know, sometimes, I think she might actually like me. Y'know, think of me as something more than another cog in the giant machine that is her dad's company. She makes it a point to stop by my little cubicle every day, smile and say hi, make small talk. We'll talk for maybe fifteen minutes every morning. I'm getting a lot better at it, honestly: now I can hold eye contact with her for the entire conversation. And at least I don't spill my coffee in front of her anymore. Although I still haven't gotten around to asking her out to lunch. I need to work on that, before she gets promoted and sent someplace I'll never see her again.

All this brings me to my current situation. I'm sitting at my desk, a stack of portfolios shoved into the corner of my cubicle and my computer screen staring blankly at me. I glance nervously at the clock on the far end of the office: nearly eight, which means Zelda's due to visit me anytime. This is the part of my day that I most love and dread – there's always the chance that I'll make a complete fool of myself in front of the girl I'm in love with.

Yeah, that's right, love. Not some petty crush, or some fleeting fancy, but _love_. Pure and simple. I don't care what Sheik says. Maybe I'm a hopeless romantic just asking for his heart to be torn out, but I do believe in true love. Whatever that means. I don't really know, honestly, but I do know that the feeling I get whenever I see Zelda is something truly unique. Just like her.

I snap out of my reverie as I hear the sound of a pair of high heels making their rounds on the office floor. Excited, I peek over the top of my cubicle to see if it's her. Indeed, it is – it's my one and only Zelda! She catches me stealing a glance at her like a peeping Tom and giggles, her face flushing prettily pink. Too late, I realize how stupid I must look, and pop back down into the relative safety of my cubicle, my cheeks burning like fire.

It takes a couple more seconds for her to reach me, during which I busily pretend to be hard at work. I think she knows it's all a ruse, but she plays along anyways. She stands at the entrance to my box, smiling (I can tell, even though my face is buried in a folder) allowing the scent of her perfume (where does she get it?) to saturate my cubicle, living me a little dizzy in the process. Goddesses, if only she knew the effect she has on me!

"Hey, Link," she says in that soft tone of voice, leaning on my wall and grinning. She's not that tall, really – I'm probably a head taller than her – but she seems to tower over me as I remain sitting in my chair.

"Oh, uh… hey, Zelda," I stammer, looking up from my pretend-work and trying to flash her a winning smile. I've been working on my smile, at home, in front of the mirror. You know, I can never quite get my facial muscles to work right. Probably why I always look terrible in pictures: you'll have a few people smiling merrily and me standing there with a grotesque grin plastered on my face. This time, my lips twitch and form into a sort of half-smile. Not quite the flashy, camera worthy grin I was hoping for, but she seems to think it's cute. Her lips twitch at the corners and her blue eyes twinkle mischievously.

"How're those reports coming along?" she asks conversationally, nodding at the stack of papers piled up on my desk.

"Fine, they're going great!" I reply, my voice a little high pitched. I cough, attempting to regain some semblance of professionalism. "Err… well, I should have them done by this afternoon. Just a little bit of revision left, that's all."

She nods her head again, her beautiful golden hair cascading over her shoulders like a waterfall of gold. Wow, am I always this poetic in my mind? If only I could articulate my feelings towards her as well in real life! Anyways, I focus back on Zelda – she's curiously leaning over my shoulder to look at a small picture tucked away in the recesses of my cubicle.

"Who's that?" she asks interestedly, looking over the faded portrait for the first time in the few months I've known her. It's a picture of me at my high school graduation, next to my little sister Aryll and my grandmother.

"My grandmother and kid sister," I answer, watching as Zelda takes the picture to look at it more closely. "They're my closest family," I explain.

She raises her eyes curiously. "What about your parents, Link?"

I shrug. I never knew my parents. They died when me and Aryll were only kids. Ever since, we'd been raised by my grandmother. I'm not really sad – it's hard to miss something you've never had – but at times, I do wonder what life would have been like if I knew my mother and father. There were some holes in my life growing up as a kid, but my sister and grandmother helped a lot to alleviate my parents' absence.

Zelda seems to understand my noncommittal shrug, and returns the picture back to my desk. She gazes at it thoughtfully, before speaking again, with a completely different subject: "You're an odd guy, Link."

I raise my eyes uncertainly at her. "Erm… is that good or bad?"

She grins, jauntily reclining back against my cubicle wall and folding her arms. "Relax, Link. I'm not calling you weird or anything. I'm just saying, you act really strange around me. You don't have this problem with anyone else – is it something to do with me?"

Zelda looks kind of worried as she says those last words, as if she's afraid that she's the cause of my distress. Which, of course, she is. But obviously, I don't say that out loud.

"No, no, it's nothing to do with you," I assure her hurriedly. "In fact, I don't even know what you're talking about. How do I act strange around you?"

"Well, your eyes kind of glaze over, as if you're thinking of something else, and sometimes you get this vacant look on your face." She frowns, apparently trying to think of reasons to explain my odd quirks. After a few seconds, she asks, uncertainly: "Do you think I'm boring?"

I laugh. I don't know why, but being in Zelda's presence makes me laugh a lot. I just feel a whole lot lighter than usual, and even the least funny remarks are uproariously funny. _Her? Boring_? Riiiight. That's a good one.

"Of course I don't think you're boring," I reply sincerely. "I think you're really interesting, Zelda, I really do." _And if you let me take you out to lunch, I'll happily enumerate all of your interesting qualities aloud_, I add belatedly in my mind.

She smiles, her cheeks flushing lightly at my words. "Ah, well, if you say so, Link. I just thought maybe… well, maybe you thought it was weird to work with Daphnes Harkinian's daughter."

"Kind of," I reply, not totally untruthfully. It _was_ weird to work with Harkinian's little princess, and even stranger to fall in love with her. Probably not very good for my future in the company.

"You know, I'm not trying to make things uncomfortable," Zelda said sincerely. "I just… I want to be different. I don't want to be known as Daddy's Little Girl. I want to be Zelda. Is that odd?"

"No, of course not," I reply, genuinely bemused. Zelda, it had always seemed to me, had been fated for a greater destiny – namely, taking over the company as her father's successor and becoming rich and famous. Someone as smart, independent, and hardworking as her… it just seemed like a natural fit to fill her father's large shoes. The very possibility that she wanted to do something else with her life had never even occurred to me. "So, Zelda… what _do_ you want to be?"

She bites her lip thoughtfully, looking a bit lost, and suddenly I realize how much of herself she must hide beneath the mask she wears at work. In the company, she's the CEO's daughter, the kid who attended Hyrule's most prestigious university, the 'perfect' choice to succeed her father's legacy.

But the part of her I saw from the very beginning, the part I fell in love with, was simply Zelda. And suddenly, I find it really funny at how foolish I've been behaving towards her all this time. Like I said, Zelda makes me laugh. That's just one of the many things I love about her.

"Tell you what," I say, feeling bolder than ever. "Let's talk about it at lunch. I'd love to spend an hour with you and just talk."

She looks surprised, perhaps even taken aback at my offer, but she grins widely. "Really?"

I nod my head and smile, extending my hand confidently. "So, are you up for it?"

* * *

It's been a year since that fateful day, and, all things considered, my life's going pretty good. Sure, paying back those college loans is draining more money from my salary than I'd like, but you can't have everything.

But, I can honestly say that I have pretty damn close to "everything."

Sheik can't believe that I'm dating Zelda. Not because he thinks we're incompatible, or that such a wonderful girl would choose me, or something like that. He finds it insane that I'm dating the girl who inadvertently forced me out of my job at her dad's company.

I say inadvertently, because Zelda wouldn't do that on purpose. Of course she wouldn't! I already told you that she's the nicest girl in the world, didn't I? And I stick by my words.

It's not her fault. I wasn't exactly "forced" out of my job. As a matter of fact, I quit. Voluntarily. Do you know how weird it is to date the CEO's daughter? When she works in the same office with you? I'm pretty sure that violates the company's fraternization policy. And the rumors! Those gossip girls at the coffee maker had a field day when they found out I was dating her. No, I decided to get my sorry tail out of there before Big Bad Mister Harkinian heard the rumors himself and murdered me.

Okay, so I'm painting a rather unfavorable (and frankly, unfair) portrait of Zelda's dad. He's actually a nice man – she introduced us a couple weeks ago, and as far as I can tell, he doesn't hate my guts. But, you have to understand how intimidated I am by him – I think it might be because he's both my girlfriend's dad and one of the richest men in Hyrule. So, no pressure, right?

Well, anyways, I quit the company. I hated that job anyways, so I've no regrets. Zelda stayed, though, and now she's pretty high up in the company hierarchy. Again, not through nepotism, but by her own prodigious skill. At this rate, she'll replace her old man before she's thirty.

So, what am I doing now? I'm far away from the corporate world of Hyrule, that's for sure. To be precise, two thousand and fifty three miles away.

I'm in Ikana Canyon, with a joint Hylian-Terminian archaeology expedition team hired by the Archaeology Institution of Hyrule. We're camped out just outside the ancient Ikana Castle, which we're planning on excavating later this morning. Rumor has it that the last king of Ikana, Igos du Ikana, is buried somewhere in that ancient structure. Along with more priceless artifacts than I care to count. So, it should be a pretty good adventure, all things considered. Those Ancient Hylian History and Field Archaeology minors I took in university ended up doing some good, eh?

I can't complain, not really. I've got a good job, doing something I love, instead of slaving away in front of a computer for nine hours a day. I've got a loving family (can you believe Aryll is heading to college this Fall?), great friends, and a soon-to-be father in law that doesn't hate me.

I say "soon-to-be," because I'm planning on popping the question to Zelda soon. The big one. I've got a nice ring already picked out and everything. As soon as I get back from this expedition, I'm getting down on one knee and proposing to her.

Because, out of all the things I've got, the best one is having such a wonderful, engaging, and unique girl. My Princess.

That reminds me – it's almost eight, which means Zelda's due to call me anytime. It's kind of an odd habit we have from our old days of working together at the office, when she'd visit me every morning. Since she can't exactly visit me here in Termina, she makes up for it by calling me, without fail, every morning before I go to work.

Seriously, does life get any better than this?

* * *

Kind of an Office Space meets Legend of Zelda oneshot, ha. When I was writing this I had a mental comparison of Link and Peter working in the same cubicle together, hah. Imagining Link as an office worker is an interesting approach – I could see Zelda being the head of some large corporation, but I think a more… adventurous job suits Link better

As absurd as it sounds, I've got like 10 stories that I've started (and subsequently abandoned) sitting around on my hard drive, begging for some attention. I'm trying to figure out which of them has the most potential, and after that it's a matter of kicking my lazy muse into gear. I might finish up some of the short stories I have on my computer and post them up when I get the time.

Hope you enjoyed this short work,

Falls-44


End file.
